Friday, July 31, 2009

Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today that Randy Queen, the creator of Darkchylde, and colorist Sarah Queen will be teaming up with Top Cow Productions to reintroduce Ariel Chylde to comics. This December, fans can expect to see the brand new crossover event, Darkness/Darkchylde, descending on finer comic book stores near you. Within this spectacular new crossover there will be an 8 page exclusive preview for the long-awaited series, Starfall, and the premiere of Jackie’s corrupted Darkness armor.

“The positive reaction to the Starfall announcement last year was noticed, as was the many fans asking for the return of Ariel Chylde. So this evolved naturally from that reaction,” says creator Randy Queen.

“We didn’t just want to offer up an appetizer,” explains Randy Queen, “we wanted it to matter. So it was decided that, because the crossover sort of brings Ariel back to the marketplace, that art should imitate life and the story should reflect this.”

At San Diego Comic-Con International this weekend, Top Cow Productions announced that screenwriter Holly Brix (“The Butterfly Effect 3”) and director Ryuhei Kitamura (“The Midnight Meat Train”) are officially signed on for the “Magdalena” feature film, based on the Top Cow character. To learn more about the project, CBR News sat down with the pair for this exclusive interview.

MovieSet got an exclusive interview with Stone Cold Steve Austin at Comic Con 2009. He talks about his upcoming movies, Damage, The Stranger and The Expendables. Austin signed with Top Cow at Comic Con 2009.

Director Timur Bekmambetov had confirmed that the sequel to Wanted film is in pre-production stages and will begin filming.

"We want to be ready to shoot in a few months," he said. "James McAvoy will be in the movie."As for Angelina Jolie's return to the sequel, Bekmambetov said, "We will try to wake up our fox. She is in a bath of wax."

Thursday, July 30, 2009

The cast of "Cyberforce" is cutting back into the market with this summer's "Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer" and November's "Image United," but they've got their clawed fingers in other pots, too. As announced at the Top Cow panel at Comic-Con International, a new ongoing "Cyberforce" series is launching in the spring of 2010. "Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer" artist and self-declared "Cyberforce" fan Kenneth Rocafort will illustrate the series. A writer has been chosen too, but his/her name is yet to be announced.

CBR News spoke with Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik about the new ongoing series, the partially mysterious creative team, and – most importantly – why "Cyberforce" is still cool.

Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer #1 is really welcoming to new readers, which is a good thing because it’s a book you’re probably not going to want to miss once things really start rolling. Right from the odd opening, writer Mark Waid lays down a solid foundation for a crossover while doing a nice job of introducing both teams (and the universe they exist in) that are going to be fighting and (probably) joining forces for the greater good. The artwork by Kenneth Rocafort, meanwhile, manages to be gritty, sexy, and stylish all at once without ever failing to tell a story (for the most part). Rocafort’s work makes Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer #1 look truly unique and almost worth the price of admission alone.

The comic starts out with an ad for a new communication device called “Jett”, which is supposed to be the next advancement from the cell phone. This may be important later, as another ad appears on the back of the comic, complete with a real web address. A man is being tortured for information in a cave. The man is part of a group that hunts down people powered by “technoderm”, a high-tech tattoo that grants super-powers. Some of these “Ultra-Sapiens” rebelled against the company that gave them their powers and went underground. The “Hunter-Killer” program was created to take them down, and the leader of the group in the cave was once part of that program. He also doesn’t intend to hurt his former comrade, who tells them that the Hunter-Killers are after another super group, the Cyberforce. In the ensuing battle, Dylan is hurt, possibly dead, as the rogue Ultra-Sapien, Ellis, arrives and tells his comrades they can’t save the world without the Cyberforce’s help.

Variety is reporting that the production company American Original has put together a lineup of well known comedians, who will create individual comic books that will be collected in a series of Comedy Death Ray graphic novels.American Original, which has a publishing agreement with Top Cow, hopes that the comic books will spin-off into cartoons, TV shows, or movies.

According to Bloody-Disgusting, Channing Tatum (G.I. Joe, Step Up) has been cast in the latest comic book-cum-movie, The Darkness. The film is to be directed by The Pang Brothers, who were responsible for the original Asian version of The Eye and Bangkok Dangerous (both the original and the English language remake).

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

The Top Cow Universe and its library of properties is one of the most intricate and varied in comics today. The Top Cow Bible is a comprehensive collection listing all of Top Cow’s properties and key characters. The volume includes profiles, first appearances, key creators, trivia, and a top-secret “In Development” section.

Previously only available at San Diego Comic-Con, this is a MUST HAVE for all die hard Top Cow fan!

Wrapping with the "Comics After Hollywood" panel, the conference opened up to some of the most lively discussion which became more of a therapeutic discussion for representatives from Oni Press, Top Cow Entertainment and Hollywood management agencies to explain in stark terms how the development system can still work to undermine good comics if creators aren't smart. "Hellboy" creator Mike Mignola said that the success of the movies based on his characters came more from luck than from him trying to control the final product. "I don't want to maintain control as a creator. When you sell the rights, it's a lot of people with money on one side of the table, and you're on the other side. I was very luck to have a director that wanted me involved. If I had another director, chances are I wouldn't have been involved at all. The day I signed the contract for 'Hellboy,' I went home and created a new character because, on the off chance that things turned out to be horrible – all those stories I had for Hellboy, I needed another place to put them. There's pros and there's cons, and it's a gamble.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Every year Comic-Con International is a place where people come together - as fans, as creators, as stars, and even as businesses. This year, Top Cow Entertainment chose San Diego toannounce a coming-together with a new management and production company called Heroes and Villains Entertainment (HVE) on a series of comic book projects, including a title called Tracker, a new take on werewolve mythology.

Top Cow announced today at San Diego Comic-Con that Ron Marz is writing the company's next big summer event for 2010: Artifacts.

"The 13 artifacts in the Top Cow universe tend to be the connective thread between a lot of the characters and the concepts. So this will bring virtually everything that's happening in the universe together by bringing these 13 artifacts together," Marz said of the 13-issue series. "The intention is to do this in a way that is, with the risk of sounding cliche, going to be the biggest, universe-changing story, in terms of permanent change. I don't know if we can tell a bigger story than this."

Randy Queen is the creator/artist of one of the hottest series of the late Nineties, outselling some of the biggest titles in comics. Darkchylde was a series that revolved around a traumatized high school girl Ariel Chylde, who could become the creatures from her many Nightmares. A heart-breaking story that has spawned a surprisingly large female fan base, merchandising, many comics and a staggering 261 various covers (source).

Randy's last major news was at the San Diego Comicon 2008 in regards to his new property Starfall, partnering with Top Cow Entertainment. Starfall will be sollicited after it has been fully produced and will be finished to meet deadlines.

The big news from the San Diego Comicon 2009 is that Top Cow Entertainment and Darkchylde Entertainment will publish a The Darkness/Darkchylde 30 page one-shot, which features the return of Ariel Chylde. The crossover reveals a new visual take on The Darkness when his armor gets corrupted in Ariel's Nightmares. Randy will be writing and drawing, with his partner Sarah Queens providing colors.

At Comic-Con International in San Diego, Top Cow announced that Randy Queen, creator of the fan-favorite Darkchylde series, will be bringing back his beloved character for a one-shot crossover with The Darkness. Queen will provide the script and line art for the 30-page issue while Darkchylde Entertainment co-founder Sarah Oates provides colors.

The Top Cow Multimedia panel at Comic-Con International: San Diego was moderated by Top Cow president Matt Hawkins, and attended by artist and Top Cow founder Marc Silvestri, publisher Filip Sablik, Darkness writer Phil Hester, and Witchblade writer Ron Marz.

The panel began with the announcement of a feature film to come, based on Top Cow’s The Magdalena. Ryuhei Kitamura, most recently of the Clive Barker-adapted film Midnight Meat Train, was announced as director, and showcased a rousing reel of his work which showed a penchant for finely choreographed, highly stylized action.

On Wednesday, I was fortunate to catch the tail end of the ICv2 conference as well as take a first look at the convention floor. As they say, it’s all about the fans. And that often means it’s all about the money. Seeing so many people at Comic-Con with giant bags of swag, standing in so many lines, desperation in the eyes of some, waiting for a chance to win something or buy something, I could clearly see money as the dominant theme: those who make it and those who spend it.

SAN DIEGO — There are certain truths in life that seem impossible to debate: Geeks don't get the girls; hot women aren't interested in comic books; sequels to Keanu Reeves films always suck. Well, OK, maybe the last one still holds true but at Comic Con '09, sultry Megan Fox is doing her philanthropic best to break down the walls, shatter the stereotypes and prove that hot chicks dig comics.

"I do have [geek cred]," the "Transformers" star grinned while promising us that she wasn't just another Hollywood pretty face who was dropping into the world's biggest comic book convention to pitch a movie. "How can I prove it to you?"

Top Cow's President Matt Hawkins, Publisher Filip Sablik, founder Marc Silvestri and writers Phil Hester ("The Darkness") and Ron Marz ("Witchblade") were on hand at Comic-Con International, though the event more closely resembled a "24" episode than it did a comic book discussion. The panel moved at a lightning fast pace due to a plethora of trailers, video footage and comic book announcements, leading to an eventual race against the clock at the panel's conclusion.

After reading this first issue of the 5-issue miniseries Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer I am not convinced that proclaiming this five-issue Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer limited series will be “Summer’s Hottest Event Series!”. It is good, I grant you that. The introduction of the Hunter/Killer team is amazingly adequate in setting up stage and that alone should tell you that this book is quality well-above mediocre. The story is set up by Mark Waid (also working magic with Dutch artist Minck Oosterveer with "The Unknown") and drawn delicately by Kenneth Rocafort, in a way I am amazed at. How can a sketchy style be so effective, I keep on wondering. Colorist Sunny Cho brings magic to the pencils, that I am sure off. This team-up makes the sum of parts surely more than just adding up each artist's own merits. Obviously!

Broken Frontier is still talking to Eisner Award-nominated artist/writer Phil Hester. His pencilling credits include Swamp Thing, Brave New World, Flinch, Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Clerks: The Lost Scene, The Crow: Waking Nightmares, The Wretch (nominated for the 1997 Eisner Award for Best New Series), Aliens: Purge, and Green Arrow. He has been working for various, if not all, publishing houses and has done almost every genre you can think of.

Currently he is writing Top Cow's flagtitle The Darkness for the long-term as well as a four-issue series rebooting Vampirella (click here for our BF interview about this title) as of September 2009, he will also kickstart the new Archaia series "Days Missing" and last but not least the Dynamite Entertainment title "Masquerade"...

In today’s market, you can count he number of creators that stay on a series longer than a year on one hand. While some of feat is being achieved on some of the industry’s bigger books, there’s a creator who’s been quietly plugging away on a series that doesn’t always get the lion’s share of attention. We’re talking, of course, about Ron Marz on Witchblade.

How do you define art? One story that helps me understand the very human concept of artistry is the painting of an old chair. Consider any old chair that you could buy for a song at a thrift shop or find at the curbside on garbage collection day. For all intents and purposes the chair has almost no value. But suppose Van Gogh were to have made a painting of that same chair in his inimitable style. That painting would be priceless though its subject be worthless. That is the paradox and the logic behind what we call art: transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary, making concepts truly sublime.

Under the leadership of CEO Jeff Katz, the newly-formed American Original, an entertainment company that develops, produces and provides content across multiple platforms geared to the genre consumer base, has added a branding division, American Original Branding, to the company. Rich Marincic has been tapped by Katz to serve as Vice President of the division and run day-to-day operations.

Rating: 4 out of 5 starsComments: The Witchblade drawings of Sara by Michael Turner and others are amazing. Michael Turner was a fantastic artist. He was truely one of the best. Marc Silvestri, Matt Banning, Ken Cha all worked on Witchblade and provided great eye catching illustrations. Sara the Witchblade holder is shown in all her beauty. Fanacis Manapul has Sara looking sexy and business like all at the same time. Dani the other Witchblade holder as well is beautifully illustrated showing off her natural beauty. These two also are shown as very dangerous women.

Even though I will be flying down to San Diego shortly for Comic-Con and haven't packed yet, I had to post this review. I don't know much about Hunter-Killer but I've been a Cyberforce fan since they debuted in the 90s. Throw in the fact that it's written by Mark Waid and drawn by Kenneth Rocafort, there was no way I couldn't post this today.READ MORE.

Every year Comic-Con International is a place where people come together - as fans, as creators, as stars, and even as businesses. This year, Top Cow Entertainment chose San Diego toannounce a coming-together with a new management and production company called Heroes and Villains Entertainment (HVE) on a series of comic book projects, including a title called Tracker, a new take on werewolve mythology. READ MORE.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Top Cow announced today at San Diego Comic-Con that Ron Marz is writing the company's next big summer event for 2010: Artifacts.

"The 13 artifacts in the Top Cow universe tend to be the connective thread between a lot of the characters and the concepts. So this will bring virtually everything that's happening in the universe together by bringing these 13 artifacts together," Marz said of the 13-issue series. "The intention is to do this in a way that is, with the risk of sounding cliche, going to be the biggest, universe-changing story, in terms of permanent change. I don't know if we can tell a bigger story than this." READ MORE.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Cyberforce has been a favorite of mine since their very first appearance back in 1992.Hunter-Killer became an immediate favorite for much of the same reason I enjoyed Cyberforce.Both titles were big concept and lots of action and excitement.Mark Waid is back to bring these two teams together and it will definitely be interesting to see what he has up his sleeves.

In this issue readers are reintroduced to all of the main characters for Hunter-Killer in a fairly unique way.Damper, one of the Hunter-Killer team members, is captured and is being interrogated by his unknown captors.Everything anyone needed to know about the Hunter-Killer series is in this interrogation.The reveal in this issue that Damper has been captured by Ellis, a rogue Hunter-Killer tracker, wasn’t too much of a surprise, but it was a nice touch.There’s more to this issue but you won’t get it from me.

Well, we’ve found ourselves at the end of what can only be described as a very fun romp through a melded universe where Marvel and Top Cow characters continue to know one another and fight alongside one another for insane reasons.

I reviewed the second issue of this miniseries on an episode of the podcast and said something along the lines that this miniseries sounds ridiculous when its described to you, but once you read the story it all clicks and you understand that you can’t take it too seriously.When you do that you realize that this is just a fun story that is meant to be read for the enjoyment of its insanity.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Interesting Superheroes Knock the Snot Out of Each OtherWell, Top Cow is nothing if not confident; boldly proclaiming that the five-issue Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer limited series will be “Summer’s Hottest Event Series!” Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer #1 is written by comic book living legend Mark Waid, and drawn with flair and finesse by Kenneth Rocafort.READ MORE.

LOS ANGELES, Calif., July 20th, 2009 - Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today its plans for this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, the world’s biggest and most exciting popular culture convention brought together in the San Diego Convention Center in California from July 23rd-26th.

Top Cow will set up in booth #2629 and barrels into the convention with exclusives, preview books and free goodies to augment their headlining announcements, including free copies of Berserker #0, the Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer First Look, tons of Top Cow bookmarks, and lots more (while supplies last).

(W) Mark Waid (A) Kenneth RocafortTop Cow's technology based teams collide in a critical crossover event that will have everyone talking this summer! The Hunter-Killer team's directive to hunt down and detain rogue Ultra-Sapiens brings them head-to-head with the Cyberforce team in a brutal showdown that leaves more than one member bleeding. But who is manipulating these two teams into conflict and to what end? The team of writer and Hunter-Killer co-creator Mark Waid and artist Kenneth Rocafort bring you a crossover filled with epic action, intrigue, lies, and betrayal. Featuring two connected covers by series artist Kenneth Rocafort, and a third variant cover by Mike Choi and Sonia Oback (Uncanny X-Men, X-Force).

Top Cow's big crossover Summer event begins this week with the release of Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer #1. While I was happy to give the issue an early read, I was a bit skeptical as to how much I would enjoy it. I had never read either of the titles in past and am not familiar with any of the characters involved in the crossover. My fears of being lost were quickly dashed as the issue begins by getting new readers up to speed as a member of the Hunter-Killer team is interrogated and forced to tell the story so far. This recap is well done and also aids in moving the story forward quickly for veterans of the two franchises. This is an ongoing strength of the book. Waid is able to introduce all of the major players and get them into place, while still advancing the plot. This keeps the story from falling victim to the "set up" feeling that is common in many events' first issues.

Let’s be honest here for a moment: when you see a book titled “The Art of Top Cow,” a specific art style jumps to mind. One that descends from Top Cow founder Marc Silvestri with thin lines (perhaps too many), women with impossible bodies wearing little clothes, and hulking men with guns that just maybe resemble characters from another company. There’s some truth in that immediate impression of Top Cow’s work since those elements are found in the pages of this book, but, surprisingly, that sort of art takes up the minority of this book as Top Cow displays that it has featured some of the top names in comics over the years, many of whom you wouldn’t normally associate with the company.

Based on a script for a television pilot deemed "too violent" for the small screen by Hollywood, Ventimiglia gives Fango his take on how the project came to be, and discusses his relationship with the horror genre.

A FANGORIA COMIC SCREAMS INTERVIEW WITH:Milo Ventimiglia

COMIC BOOK: BERSERKER Top Cow Comics

FANGORIA: Welcome to the land that lives and breathes horror, Mr. Ventimiglia!

MILO VENTIMIGLIA: Thanks for having me…let’s cut me in half. Let people really see what’s inside.

Welcome to another edition of Controlling the Darkness where Phil Hester and I discuss all things Darkness. Issue number 78 had Jackie storming the castle and fighting the sovereigns elite guard as he took steps to reforming his empire. So let's jump right in!

Eric: Phil, my first real question for this month; is it bad if I laughed out loud at the guy's head getting cut off as someone said he might want to be careful not to lose his head?

Phil: No. I admit, it was a cheap laugh, but hey- it was right there!

Eric: Obviously, you were setting up this background character in the issue itself giving his POV a lot of screen time. Is it safe to say he's sticking around for the immediate future?

Friday, July 17, 2009

IMAGE UNITED is akin to a Beatles reunion. This six-issue comic-book series, which will be previewed at Comic-Con International in San Diego on Wednesday, brings together six of the seven founders of Image Comics— a group of prominent illustrators who defected from Marvel in 1992 to start their own publishing company— as well as some of the most successful characters they have created or developed there. It is not your typical comic-book team-up, in which a single artist interprets several other artists’ characters. Whenever Spawn, say, or Savage Dragon appears, he is illustrated by his creator. Throw in ShadowHawk, Witchblade and Youngbloood, along with Fortress, a new character, and you have a gathering of superheroes that is also a logistical nightmare

Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today that the exciting young artist behind Witchblade, Stjepan Sejic, will be hosting a live art demonstration and signing for fans at Meltdown Comics. Since Witchblade issue #116, Sejic has been leaving readers awe-struck with his beautiful and unique digitally painted artwork. Now, for the first time, fans will get a firsthand look into the artistic craft and process behind his work on the Witchblade series.

Sejic will present his live art demo on Sunday, July 19, at Meltdown Comics from 4:00 P.M to 6:00 P.M. in their popular gallery area. Following the art demo, from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M., Stjepan Sejic will sign his comics including Witchblade, Broken Trinity, First Born, and more. Meltdown Comics (http://www.meltcomics.com) is located at 7522 W Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90046 and can be reached at 323-851-7223

Top Cow Productions has provided CBR with exclusive first looks at Adriana Melo and Sunny Gho's covers for "Witchblade" #130 by Ron Marz and Stjepan Sejic, concluding the "War of the Witchblades" storyline. This issue goes on sale in September.

The mother of all Top Cow/Marvel concludes in July! The battle explodes deep inside Thunderbolt Mountain as a horrifying new villain emerges to threaten everyone!

Amidst an atmosphere of mistrust, the teams of Cyberforce, the Mighty Avengers, and Thunderbolts frantically struggle to contain the threat inadvertently created by Ellis of Hunter-Killer. The writing team of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (Guardians of the Galaxy, War of Kings) and Top Cow favorite artist Tyler Kirkham (Ultimate Fantastic Four, Broken Trinity: Aftermath) bring you a perfect lead into this summer’s Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer event.

Top Cow Productions, Inc. revealed today the names of the participating retailers in their “Let Us Win YOU Over” initiative for July and the next free issue in the program – Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer #1.

The “Let Us Win YOU Over” initiative is a yearlong campaign by Top Cow Productions to give out free copies of its regular comics to potential fans in the U.S. and Canada through participating comic book stores. Each month, a different set of stores, each month a different free comic. The stores vary by geography and demographics. Top Cow has partnered with ComicsPRO to bring this promotion to fans and a portion of July’s retailers are members of ComicsPRO. Top Cow reminds retailers that any direct market retailer with a Diamond account is eligible to participate and should contact their Diamond Customer Service representative for information on signing up.

Top Cow's recently enacted "Let Us Win You Over" initiative is, as the company's Publisher Filip Sablik described it, "the initiative where I went crazy."

That's certainly one way to look at a campaign in which a comic book company gives away 200 free comics to 25 different comic book stores every month, totaling 5,000 free comic books for each 30-day period with a grand total of 60,000 comic books in one year – all of this in the midst of one of the worst global financial situation in recent history.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Top Cow Productions, Inc. revealed today the names of the participating retailers in their “Let Us Win YOU Over” initiative for July and the next free issue in the program – Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer #1.

The “Let Us Win YOU Over” initiative is a yearlong campaign by Top Cow Productions to give out free copies of its regular comics to potential fans in the U.S. and Canada through participating comic book stores. Each month, a different set of stores, each month a different free comic. The stores vary by geography and demographics. Top Cow has partnered with ComicsPRO to bring this promotion to fans and a portion of July’s retailers are members of ComicsPRO. Top Cow reminds retailers that any direct market retailer with a Diamond account is eligible to participate and should contact their Diamond Customer Service representative for information on signing up.